Returning to Machu Picchu

After almost a century of conflict, the dispute between Yale and Peru over artifacts from Machu Picchu has come to an end and the artifacts will be returned to Machu Picchu.

Daniel A. Schnapp explained that it is difficult to predict which side would have prevailed should the matter have gone through the courts. Extrapolating from other cases is difficult in cases involving ownership of cultural property and artwork. "The facts involved will always be different," Schnapp said, adding that courts tend to resolve such disputes on a case-by-case basis.